Separable adapter for terminal boards



Sept. 15, 1970 V..J. LOGUE ETAL I SEPARABLE ADAPTER FOR TERMINAL;vBOARDS Filed Feb. 23, 1968 S L R 4 M m M 2 l M E W S M V EH" LYF mm ,J EM m N T E H v wmm mfi mmmmmmmmmmmmmm v R U U \& 7///// a; \\\\\R 4 WW f..H.[ Q

United States. Patent US. Cl. 339-176 '1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE An adapter is provided with a plurality of female contacts onone side designed to fit onto a like plurality of conventional squared,elongated terminals. The opposite side of the adapter is provided with alike plurality of prongs in direct electrical communication wfth thecorresponding female terminals. The prongs on the latter side areadapted for the soldering of wires of larger diameter than could beattached in any practical manner to the squared terminals.

GOVERNMENT INTEREST The invention described herein may be manufacturedand used by or for the Government of the United States of America forgovernmental purposes Without the payment of any royalties thereon ortherefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Much of the electronic equipment availabletoday is supplied with a circuit board having banks of squared contactpins designed to facilitate connection of wires by wrapping so thatwires may be quickly and easily attached when connecting the equipmentwith means of other electronic equipment. Such connections are quicklyand easily made and the method is very eflicient when making permanentinstallation and when all connecting Wires are to be of the samediameter. However, when temporary installation is desired or aninstallation which is of a semipermanent nature such as in search,experimentation and the like, it is often desirable to use wire of largediameter and to connect cables between items of equipment.

Heretofore cables were attached to such a circuit by means of anintermediate board which plugged into a bank connector. The adapteraccording to the present invention allows cables to be directly attachedto and easily detached from a squared connector terminal board. Wiresand cables of larger diameter can be soldered to the adapter prongs andthe adapter when in place on the equipment maintains positive contactbetween the terminals of the circuit board and the connector cableswithout damage to the terminals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The adapter according to the present inventioncomprises a bank of female connector elements designed to resilientlyfit onto a like plurality of elongated squared terminals on a terminalboard. These female terminal members are embedded in an insulating blockwhich carries on the opposite side a like number of prongs or pins of atype adapted for making soldered connections with wire and cables. Theadapter is further provided with mounting means to hold the same firmlyin place over the terminal board.

3,529,279 Patented Sept. 15, 1970 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.1 is a perspective view of an adapter according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a detail of the adapter pins according tothe invention; and FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of aportion of a conventional Wire- Wrap terminal board attached to amounting means modified to accept the adapter of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in theaccompanying drawings the adapter 10 is composed of an insulated block24 in which holes 30 are provided to receive pins 28. The hollow pins 28have been selected so that they have an internal bore which will fitresiliently over the Wire-Wrap pins 18 of a conventional terminal board12 bolted to an instrument ,case 14. The adapter 10 is fashioned to fitsnugly over each end of the terminal board 12 and fasten to theinstrument case 14 by means of screws 22 running through a bore 32 inthe adapter. The screws 22 fit into openings 20 in instrument case 14.The ends 38 of the hollow pins 28 are adapted to have wires attachedthereto by soldering and will easily accept larger diameter wire thancould be be attached by any means to pins 18. Wires are preferablysoldered to the ends 38 and lugs 28 before adapter is placed intoposition on the terminal board. The pins 28 are provided with slots 26and are fitted into holes 30 with appropriate clearance so that pins 18may be forced into the bores of pins 28 with slight pressure and theresiliency of the metal in pins 26 will maintain good electrical contactbetween the terminals 18 and pins 28.

The adapter block 24 is shown counterbored at 34 to accommodate theheads of pins 28 but it is obvious that other pins of diiterentconfiguration may be used within the scope of the invention. The onlyrequisite for pins 28 being that they have means for gripping commonwrap type terminals on the one hand and provide means for easilyattaching and detaching on the other hand conductors of greater diameterthan could be as readily attached and detached from the wrap typeterminals.

What is claimed is:

1. An adapter for making electrical connections to terminal boards ofthe type which comprises a plurality of terminal pins having extendingportions of a rectangular cross-section adapted to have wires of smalldiameter connected thereto by means of a conventional wire wrapping toolcomprising:

(a) body means comprising a block of material with good electricalinsulation properties;

( b) a plurality of electrically conductive adapter pins carried by saidbody means;

(c) said adapter pins having one end adapted to fit onto andfrictionally engage said terminal pins and having another end protrudingfrom said body;

(d) said another end being of hollow tubular construction and beingangularly cut oif on the extremity to present a surface wall adapted forthe attachment of conductors by soldering or the like; and

(e) means for removably fastening said body to said board;

said adapter pins having a central bore and a counter-bore;

3 4 said counterbore having a diameter slightly smaller 3,088,087 4/1963 Colton 339276 X than a diagonal of the rectangular cross section3,288,915 11/1966 Hatfield et a1. 339-276 X of the terminal pins to beengaged; and having diametrically opposed kerfs throughout the OTHERREFERENCES greater part of the length of said counterbores.

5 Publication: Augot Inc., Attleboro, Mass., Data Sheet References CitedNo. 562, February 1963, Titled Connector.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,416,285 2/1947 Buckingham et a1. 339193 X 72,691,771 10/1954 Burtt et al. 339-275 X 10 US. Cl. X.R. 2,746,022 5/1956 Gilbert 33992 9.425 275 27 RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner

